FORUM ON EUROPEAN CULTURE
31 may - 4 june 2023
What is the role of the needy in European society? In his installation, artist Dries Verhoeven brings the outsiders of European society into focus, confronting passers-by with begging ghetto blasters.
In recent years, Europe has seen an unprecedented cry for help. Waves of refugees are appealing to Europe’s hospitality, struggling countries are requesting financial aid, and poverty is on the rise among European citizens. According to the famous French philosopher Thomas Piketty, the gap between the rich and the poor will widen even more in the coming decades.
With his installation, Songs for Thomas Piketty, Dries Verhoeven demands that the act of asking for help gains public visibility. In and around the Leidseplein, one of Amsterdam’s busiest spots, passers-by are confronted with begging ghetto blasters and made to wonder: What role do the needy have in European society?
Photo: Willem Popelier
The European Cultural Foundation strenghtens the European sentiment by developing and supporting cultural initiatives that let us share, experience and imagine Europe.
